𝐄𝐘𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐘

96 | petrified

Elena's POV

"Elena?" I hear his voice and my blood runs cold in my veins, paralyzing me from the inside out. His voice, it only belongs to him and I can recognize it from anywhere without having to even look at him, because it's his. If I could find the proper words to describe his voice it would be like a warm caress at first, but when you look in his eyes and hear him speak again you change your mind right away. The very warmth that seeps though his tone, this undeniable familiarity, the friendliness it carries along like dry leafs dancing on autumn air. All of it...it just fades away as I slowly turn around. His gaze clashes against mine and those green and brown rimmed eyes look at me with a bittersweet nostalgia.

Out of all times and places, I get to see this man here?

"Harrison," my voice comes out as strangled.

I can feel Jungkook' hand hold mine in an assuring manner, but he doesn't say anything. I'm pretty positive he has sensed how tense I am and he's probably observing him closely right now. My eyes take in the image of the tall man in a charcoal trench coat ahead of me. He still looks the same, only the years have worn him out since the last time I saw him. His thick curly hair that was once a lively shade of brown, now is covered with a layer of silver. Faint lines crack through his skin near the corners of his eyes and mouth. Even though he's aged he still looks as elegant as he did four to five years ago. As much as I would hate to admit it, he's still in a good shape for his age.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Harrison says with a thin smile. He gestures at the barstool next to me where my coat is occupying it and asks, "Mind if I sit for a little?"

"Excuse me sir," Jungkook intervenes, "but we're on a date."

"I'm sorry," Harrison coos. "Let me introduce myself I'm Harrison Stein. I was Elena's dance teacher back in the day."

My limbs are frozen and I'm unable to open my mouth to speak. So many reactions are rushing through me in such a short moment that I'm starting to feel this overpowering whiplash that somehow blocks my chain of thoughts. I don't know what to do or say, so I just mindlessly nod like a doll. My hand mechanically snatches my coat from the barstool and he sits down.

"Is that so?" Jungkook says and slowly turns my barstool so that it faces the bar. Eric is looking at me with a curious expression on his face.

"I didn't realize this was a neighborhood pub." He murmurs while wiping a beer glass squeaky clean. "What would you like to order sir?" He asks looking at Harrison.

"A beer would be nice." He replies and then turns to me. "So, how have you been Elena?"

Snap out of it, I tell myself. My chest tightened as soon as I saw him and my muscles tensed altogether. My brain was going through my thoughts so fast, that I couldn't keep up with them. It was as if I was hyper-focused on one thing, only I was overthinking multiple things and processing many emotions at a time, that my whole system began crumbling down. 

I glare at him and cross my arms when Eric puts down the beer he ordered. "I've been better." I say and he shakes his head. 

"Who's this lovely young man?" He inquires in a casual manner, as if it's perfectly normal for us to have a conversation. 

As if nothing ever happened between us.

As if he doesn't remember that he's one of the reasons why my life has gone downhill.